With age, most women gain weight, but it doesn't mean it is unavoidable. Minimize your weight gain by taking good care and loving your body!
Do you notice that after menopause, losing weight gets more difficult? It is true that losing weight after menopause is more difficult during this time and it gets more visible due to the fact that the weight tends to show itself on your stomach rather than your legs.
Most women start experiencing weight gain even before they reach menopause. It is this period which is called 'perimenopause' that is best to counter the possible weight gain to come. By changing to healthier eating habits and a more active lifestyle, you will be able to prevent any actual weight gain.
Why do we gain weight after menopause?
Your body may have changed during menopause but in actuality these are the major factors that cause weight gain after menopause. For one thing, aging and the way you live your life are the most major factors in weight gain. Here are other reasons that aggravate the situation:
- Exercising less. Many menopausal women exercise less as they age. This does not need to be.
- Eating more. Any food you eat and do not use up is converted to fat so watch what you eat.
- Burning fewer calories. As you grow older, your body burns fewer calories to do things because your body converts your muscles to fat. In effect this slows down your metabolism even more.
There are also genetic factors that may affect weight gain. If parents and relatives easily gain extra weight around the waist, you may be inclined to do so, too.
What are the dangers of gaining additional weight?
Excessive weight gain affects your health in many negative ways. Risks of high cholesterol and blood pressure increase. It may even lead to type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. The chances for breast cancer may also increase with the weight gain.
What are the steps I can take to curb weight gain?
There is no silver bullet to this problem of weight gain as you age yet there are many things you can do to maintain a healthy weight at every age. Take action and be aware of what you eat. The best things you can do to reduce weight are:
Increasing physical activity. Any form of exercise boosts your metabolism and helps burn unwanted fat. It not only increases muscle mass; it also helps boost your metabolism and strengthens your bones.
There is not even a need to do any formal exercise program. Just do the things you like to do. Like sports, dancing, gardening, or any physical activity like cleaning and arranging the house. Making sure you increase your physical activity and finding ways to increase your strength is a great contributor for maintaining a healthy body. More muscle means less fat and you feeling healthier even as you grow older.
Reducing calorie intake. Being aware of what you eat and how much calories you consume everyday will help you estimate how much energy your body actually needs. By eating more fruits and vegetables, you can lower your calorie consumption and lose weight. Only be sure that you don't reduce your calorie intake too much as this will backfire and make it much harder for you to lose weight.
Your metabolism already normally slows down as you grow older. You do not need to help it slow down faster by eating too little food. When your hungry, eat but make sure you only eat enough to satisfy that hunger.
Lessen eating fatty foods. Eating excessive fatty foods gives you too much excess calories. Most likely you will be unable to burn these excess calories which turns them into your own body fat. Frequent excessive eating of fatty foods leads to obesity so limit your fat intake to about 20-30% of your daily calorie intake. And the healthier the sources they come from, the better it is for your body. Try eating olives and nuts or other healthier fat sources.
